1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hand held tools and, more particularly, to a tool adapted for fire sprinkler head removal and installation without the need for ceiling tear out.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The failure of a ceiling mounted fire sprinkler head, whether through product failure or through accidental damage, necessitates the removal of the sprinkler head from the system and the installation of an undamaged replacement part. In recent years there has been a recall of some models of sprinkler heads due to product failures and potential product failures. Because the replacement of defective or damaged sprinkler heads requires some tear out of the ceiling in which the sprinklers are installed, the systematic replacement of defective sprinkler heads has resulted in large-scale repair of ceiling and other building structures.
Were it possible to remove and replace the sprinkler heads without ceiling tear out, the inconvenience and costs of repairing the tear out and restoring the ceiling to its desired appearance could be avoided. Even so, to date there has been no known universal tool that could achieve this objective. Accordingly, with an understandable self-interest, at least one sprinkler head manufacturer has provided a product-specific device adapted for use with only its own sprinkler heads. However, the use of this device to remove proprietary sprinkler heads requires two workmen, and when tradesmen have been called upon to replace other brands, the workers have clumsily adapted tools intended for other purposes and have not been able to accomplish the task without the above-described problems. This often results in more damage than intended, including damage to sprinkler head adapters, which frequently crack or suffer thread damage.
There is, in consequence, a need for a tool to facilitate the removal of existing fire sprinkler heads and the installation of replacement heads without the need for ceiling tear out and with minimum risk of damage to the sprinkler head adapter and other piping structures.
The fire sprinkler head tool of the present invention solves the foregoing problems by providing a pair of jaw extensions which may be either integral with or removably connected to a large capacity clamping or locking pliers. The locking pliers have a movable and a fixed jaw, and the jaws define a large cylindrical inner opening of sufficient in diameter to accommodate a standard plumber""s 1xc2xc inch (3.18 cm) wrench socket, as is customarily required to remove a sprinkler head. The jaw opening may be larger or smaller without affecting the fundamental operating characteristics of the tool. The jaw extensions include upper working portions which further include concave gripping portions. The gripping portions preferably have teeth to grip a sprinkler head adapter during use. In a first preferred embodiment, the inventive fire head sprinkler tool further comprises a stop block integral with the fixed jaw of the pliers, which cooperates with a threaded adjuster block affixed to the movable jaw and an adjuster screw threadably inserted through the adjuster block. These structures allow the user to define a stop point for closure of the jaws, and therefore minimum opening size of the jaws, smaller than which the user cannot go that prevents the user from damaging the adapter and from obstructing the insertion and turning movements of the socket. The vertical axes of the jaw extensions are offset from the plane of the jaw side at an angle between 90 and 180 degrees.
In a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, jaw extensions are independent from any device used to secure the jaws over the sprinkler head adapter and are pivotally connected to one another to facilitate use with clamping pliers.